1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for high density magnetic tape recording and playback, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for high density magnetic tape recording and playback by means of a plurality of pairs of ferromagnetic laminations, each pair together defining a transducing gap and a larger gap, in which said larger gaps are successively scanned by one or more low reluctance bridging members, and thus fringing fluxes corresponding to successive elements of a video signal are produced in successive ones of said transducing gaps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Methods and apparatus for high density video magnetic recording and playback are known in the prior art. For instance, it has been proposed to record video signals laterally rather than longitudinally of magnetic recording tape (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,808, issued to George C. Sziklai on Aug. 8, 1950). Such methods and apparatus have taken many forms, such as transducing heads rotating laterally, helically, etc., in relation to the longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape. In each of these cases, however, a high relative speed between the transducing head or heads and the magnetic recording tape is required, and this high relative speed causes excessive wear both of the tape and the transducing head. In particular, such head wear occurs in the area of the head gap, thus reducing the resolution of the recording and playback system. A high speed video tape recording system has been proposed in which a rotating bridging member bridges successive gaps in a corresponding plurality of magnetic circuits, each containing one transducing gap of a linear array of transducing gaps, whereby to transversely scan an associated magnetic recording tape and record thereupon, or read therefrom, successive signals corresponding to successive elements of a video signal (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,942). However, the minimum cross-sectional area of each of the several magnetic circuits of this prior art device is so small as to seriously limit the intensity of the dipoles which can be recorded upon the magnetic tape. Also, in this prior art device the magnetic recording tape must intersect all of said magnetic circuits, making recording from one side of the tape in accordance with the conventional practice impossible.